1 in every 137 Americans is behind bars.

No More Prisons is a book, a CD, and most of all an American movement.

the movement
Some facts about the United States prison system:

Violent crime rates more or less flat in the Eighties before starting a precipitous drop in 1993, and property crime has fallen steadily since the early Seventies. Since 1980, the prison population has quadrupled. All of this is largely due to the good intentioned but ill-executed “War on Drugs” started by the 40th President of the United States, Ronald Reagan, in the early 1980’s. In fact, these days, marijuana crime outnumbers violent crime.

No More Prisons has become a cause taken up by many politically aware people in the United States. The disproportionate number of blacks and Hispanics in prison has been a motive for many people, especially prominent leaders in these groups. Whether this stays a valid issue, or it becomes an impotent “Free Kevin!” type of thing remains to been seen.

About the “No More Prisons” Graffiti


the cd

”It’s not that I’m anti / it’s just that I can’t lie”
- Akbar

No More Prisons is a hip-hop compilation album released by Raptivism Records March 14, 2000 to benefit the Prison Moratorium Project. Described as ”Where progressive hip-hop meets progressive politics,” the album is not something heard very often in rap music today, combining intelligence, talent, and knowledge of an issue.

  1. Infomercial (Meet the Press) - DJ Shame (Vinyl Reanimators)
  2. Where Ya At - B.K.N.Y.
  3. Dedicated - Sister Asia feat. Steele & Top Dog
  4. Criminal - Danny Hoch
  5. Evolution - Vinia Mojica w/additional vocals by The Last Emperor
  6. Outa Site - Apani B-Fly Emcee feat. L.I.F.E.
  7. No More Prisons - Hurricane G feat. Rishi
  8. Murda Box - Hedrush, dead prez & People’s Army
  9. Voices - Daddy-O
  10. M.O.V.E. - Rubberoom
  11. Drug Warz - The Coup
  12. Lunchbreak - Helixx C. Armaggedon & Pri the Honey Dark
  13. Inspiration - Prof. Cornel West
  14. The Plan - The Reepz
  15. Behind Enemy Lines - dead prez
  16. More Prisons - Kool DJ EQ feat. The Last Poets
  17. Battle Cry - Akbar
  18. Siege - El Battalion
  19. Hold the Key - Scientifik El-D, God Wize, L Da Headtoucha, K-Slaughta
  20. Rich Get Rich - Chubb Rock, Lil’ Dap, Edo G., Paw Duke
  21. Too Much - Grandmaster Caz
  22. Let Us Go - Lyric & Mike Ladd
  23. Underground Railroad - Yazeed
Executive Producers: Vincent Merry & Rishi Nath
Executive Production Assistant: Ashok Kamal
Creative Direction and Design: Francois Leandre
Additional Design and Layout: Karma (Trevor Gendron)

More info: http://www.raptivisim.com


the book
No More Prisons is a book written by American author William Upski Wimsatt between 1995 and 1998. It deals not only with the issue of prison reform, but “Urban life, homeschooling, hip-hop leadership, the cool rich kids movement, a hitchhiker’s guide to community organizing, and why philanthropy is the greatest art form of the 21st century.” A sequel to Wimsatt’s first book, Bomb the Suburbs. In No More Prisons, Wimsatt is a much more focused writer, making this book more informative, if a little less entertaining, than Bomb the Suburbs. The book benefits the Active Element Foundation.

I think the majority of Everythingians would get a lot out of reading this book, whether they have an interest is prison reform or not. This book has been known to inspire and mindfuck or two.

No More Prisons, ISBN: 1-887128-42-5
No More Prisons (Book with CD), ISBN: 1-887128-43-3
More info: http://www.nomoreprisons.net, http://www.softskull.com


sources (further reading)
  • The Book. Buy the Book.
  • National Affairs: Invisible Nation, Rolling Stone 855 December 7, 2000
  • Prison Activist Resource Center: http://www.prisonactivist.org/
  • California Prison Focus: http://www.prisons.org
  • Prison Legal News: http://www.prisonlegalnews.org/

Log in or register to write something here or to contact authors.